A Dragoon Engulfed with Regret
by CrimsonMercenary
Summary: In Final Fantasy II/IV, after the good guys save the world from Zermous...how did Kain deal with the guilt that must have come with being controlled by the forces of evil to such travesties? This post game dialogue is a potential outcome! This story is an old tale from a discarded account, I wanted to preserve it though! I hope you enjoy, review if you want!


**A Dragoon Engulfed With Regrets**

The great dragoon looked down on the kingdom of Baron from the highest point of the Misty Mountains. It seems like a lifetime ago when he stood close to this same point with his best friend Cecil and defeated the Mist Dragon with the hopes of passing through to the city of mist.

Back then, things were so easy. Kain, a dragoon who served his king and county only followed orders. Of course back then the orders were always understood to be in the nation and the world's best interests. Kain, a fearless dragoon was using his talents in combat to make the world a better place…he was one of the good guys.

But then King Baron was killed and impersonated by one of Golbez's four fiends, and Baron was used as an instrument for evil. Kain and Cecil caught on to the scheme relatively early on, and left Baron but while Cecil was able to begin his quest to save the world, Kain lost himself to the mind control of the Lord of darkness, Golbez. In the blink of an eye, Kain went from being one of the "good guys" to one of the greatest agents of destruction that the blue world had seen.

Kain, under Golbez's control killed many people, destroyed many cities, and committed many atrocities not only to his friends but to his nation and the world itself. Sure he was under Golbez's influence, but the dragoon knew that the reason Golbez was able to take control of Kain was because of his dark and jealous heart. His envy for Cecil and his relationship with Rosa led him to among the darkest place.

Kain looked at the kingdom of Baron below him. Baron was just one of the many nations that now was finding itself in a rebuilding phase after the great war against Zermous took place. All over the world, and under it, Kain knew there were many cities full of people trying to find themselves back to a normal life. It would be hard to regain a sense of routine and normality after such evil surfaced. With that said, Kain knew he was among the "Famous Five" as society had recently branded those who defeated Zermous. He was in the world's eyes, a hero who deserved a medal, merit, and a great title of recognition.

With a good conscious, Kain good recognize the merit of Cecil, Rosa, Rydia, and even Edge. But himself? That was a different story. The other four not only defeated the great evil, they fought against it constantly. Despite what the world knew what that which they didn't, Kain knew the truth. If it wasn't for the dragoon and the things he did while under the control of Golbez, Zermous could have never resurfaced and the crystals would have never been in danger.

The dragoon closed his eyes with crushing regret, stopping a tear from coming to his eyes. The world acknowledged Kain a hero and even his friends acknowledged him as one of the "good guys". The bitter truth of it was that Kain knew that he was not a hero. He didn't deserve the forgiveness of his friends and the respect of the good people of Baron. Kain looked off the highest point of the Misty Mountains and crouched down as he prepared himself for his final jump. He would rid the world of his rotten stench for good…

"This mountain brings back memories doesn't it?" the dragoon heard a friendly and familiar voice from behind him.

Kain turned around to see the new king of Baron and his best friend walking towards him with a warm smile.

"Kain you've always been such a bag of drama." Cecil spoke as he put his hand on Kain's heavily armored back. "I can read you like a book, I always have. The world is safe from all that evil from the moon, and you're still blaming yourself for falling under Golbez's control. Even in these new times of peace, you're still waging a war in your heart."

"It's easy for you to be at ease in this new time of peace." Kain said as he looked at the rising sun. "Cecil, if it wasn't for you, your strong determination, your leadership, and your pure heart none of us would be around to enjoy this sunrise."

"A pure heart…" Cecil said as he reflected on his own life. "That one was something I never could have experienced until we embarked on this journey. Man it seems like just yesterday the two of us, the Great Dragoon Kain and the Great Black Knight Cecil embarked from Baron to the village of Mist. Back in the day, we both had the reputation of being invincible, didn't we?"

"Yeah." Kain said as he chuckled, thinking back of the past days. "People said my spear would pierce the hardest of armor and you're sword would cut through any evil that stood in Baron's way. Together we were said to be unstoppable."

"Well, they may have been right about your spear…" Cecil said as he too looked at the rising sun. "But not long after we embarked on this quest, I learned that there was one evil my sword could not cut through…and that was the evil within in my own heart. Like you, I was holding on to so much regret. I blindly followed whatever order King Baron said, without ever asking once about the morality of the command. When our wise and great king was alive, this was fine…but when he was impersonated by that evil water fiend, I committed so many atrocities without ever asking why."

Cecil's eyes now began to tear up. He looked down. "Of course by the time I started questioning the morality of what I was doing, the deeds were already done. And we embarked on our new adventure to leave Baron forever. Shortly after that I lost Rosa to Golbez and that was when I realized to be a truly great warrior my evil heart full of regret was nothing more than a road block. When I took the challenge of being a Paladin I had to drop all my regret, sorrow, and shame to take up the power of the Light. I didn't know it then…but that was the best decision I ever made."

Cecil withdrew from his hilt the Legendary sword Excalibur. Kain's eyes were fixated on the majesty and glory that the sword seemed to radiate. Cecil stuck the sword into the rocky ground between the two friends.

"This sword has brought me a renewed life as well as a new reason for living. My strength doesn't come from me and my power, because I realize that on my own I am nothing but a mere human capable of failing in dire ways every day. My strength comes from the truth of right and wrong and the desire to protect my friends. Kain, I think you possess the same strength. I know you do, because deep down inside you and I are the same. Maybe it's time you shed your heart of regrets as well and fight in the light, not the darkness. When you do, we could use a hero of your caliber in Baron."

Cecil once again gently padded his friend on the back as he walked away slowly. Kain's eyes were still fixated on the great sword in front of him as his ears heard Cecil's gold plated boots walk away. When the Paladin was gone, Kain gave a sigh of relief, pulled the sword out of the rocky ground and began on the road to his new life as a warrior in the light, not one shrouded in darkness.


End file.
